Key ingredients for healthy joints, hair, skin and nails

Vegetarians and Vegans - there are tips for you at the end!

When I became a health coach I learnt how important fruits and vegetables were in our diet. I was amazed by how many different phytonutrients they contain – thousands upon thousands of tiny powerhouses that go way beyond the few vitamins we would get from our regular multivitamin supplement.

As I embark on my functional medicine training my attention has turned towards amino acids. These building blocks are essential for so many functions within the body – particularly cellular metabolism and structure. You also need them for healthy joints, skin, hair and nails.

Where do we get amino acids?

Amino Acids are protein. And they’re found mostly from the parts of meat that even meat eaters don’t eat! You’ll find them in the joints and ligaments of beef and other meats.

This is why bone broth has become so popular. Slow cooking all the bones, including the cartilage releases the amino acids.

NOTE: We must consume organic and pasture-raised meat (meat that’s actually allowed to roam and forage it’s food!) Cows actually should be able to roam and eat grass. Chickens don’t eat corn. They’re not vegetarian! They want to dig for worms! Animals raised like this not only have a better quality of life ( #ethicalfarming ) but they also have a vastly better nutritional profile.

If you don’t fancy making up a bone broth after your Sunday roast every week – you can cheat. Yay!! Hydrolysed collagen provides you with lots of amino acids and can be added to any hot or cold drink. I add mine to my coffee in the morning. Such a simple healthy addition.

You CAN get amino acids from plant sources – although you need to work a bit harder and smarter to ensure you consume all 9 of the essential amino acids (ie the amino acids that we cannot make within the body and MUST consume).

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/10/amino-acids-for-healthy-joints-skin-hair-and-nails/feed/0Are your cosmetics causing PMS?https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/10/are-your-cosmetics-causing-pms/
Fri, 12 Oct 2018 10:15:56 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25618The average person uses 9 personal care products containing 126 different chemical ingredients every day!
Personally, I think a lot of women use way more than that. And just like food – every one of these products has the potential to influence our health.

Are your cosmetics causing PMS?

Why do I talk so much about cosmetics?

No it’s not because I’m obsessed with how I look.

In fact, I’ve always been the one who doesn’t know how to do her hair and make up. Seriously, I only learnt how to do a messy bun this summer!! It’s like I live under a rock when it comes to beauty stuff.

Despite my lack of ability in the beauty and cosmetics department I still use a lot of personal care and hygiene products daily. I bet you do too.

And just like food – every one of these products has the potential to influence our health.

How are our personal care products affecting our health?

Our skin absorbs everything we put on it. It’s a giant mouth-like organ. Except when we eat something there is a strong barrier (our gut) to prevent the foreign particles from accessing our bloodstream. The skin doesn’t have the same barrier. Everything that goes on our skin can get into our blood. Fast.

Of course we want our deodorant and our suncream to be effective. But we also don’t want them adding to the toxic load on our body. Many ingredients in high street products contain oestrogen-mimicking compounds and when the vast majority of women in the Western world are oestrogen-dominant – that’s bad news.

Oestrogen dominance is usually the cause of heavy periods and PMS. So many women struggle with this and often it isn’t that our body is out of control and producing too much oestrogen. It’s that we are slathering things that behave like oestrogen onto our skin.

Ingredients to avoid in your cosmetics

Oxybenzone – usually in suncream

Triclosan – usually in toothpaste

Parfum or fragrance – this can hide many different chemicals and artificial scents. Don’t be fooled by the labelling ‘natural’. There are no restrictions on being allowed to use that word so it doesn’t guarantee everything is safe! Do your research so you know you can trust the brand if they use these terms.

PEGs(polyethylene glycol), parabens and sulfates – found in LOADS of products

For more information on how to avoid hormone-disrupting chemicals I highly recommend you take a look at the Environmental Working Group website. This page has the top 12 endocrine disrupters listed with the most common places you find them. You’ll also find a LOT of clinical references if you like a bit of the science behind all this.

When you’re trying to get healthy it is SO important to overhaul your bathroom cabinets; not just your kitchen cupboards.

Local supermarkets are catching onto the toxin-free trend in the beauty industry but a lot of more natural brands aren’t that effective. (Honestly, how many times have you tried an aluminium-free deodorant and instantly regretted it?? stink alert!!)

Here are a few of my tried and tested brands that I think are amazing:

Aurelia – OMG their products are divine. My most purchased product from them is their cream deodorant. It smells amazing and it actually works.

Neals Yard Remedies – They’ve been around a long time and I’m a big fan of their shower gels and bubble baths.

]]>What’s so bad about sugar?https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/whats-so-bad-about-sugar/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/whats-so-bad-about-sugar/#respondThu, 10 May 2018 12:39:04 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25597The post What’s so bad about sugar? appeared first on Rachel Collins.
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Sugar has been demonised in the media recently. Everywhere we look we are being told to cut down on sugar because it is linked with diabetes and obesity. We’re finally starting to understand that it’s sugar rather than fat that actually makes us fat. But why does it do this?

Why does sugar make us fat?

Surprisingly, it’s nothing to do with the calorific content of sugar. Despite those warnings about empty calories it isn’t the calories that are the problem. It’s actually the impact of sugar on our hormones. This impact on our hormones is why sugar isn’t just making us fat, it’s making us diabetic, giving us PMS and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and increasing our risk of hormone modulated cancers. Eek!

Watch the video below to find out more about how sugar has this effect, which sugars are considered the bad ones and how much we should be aiming to consume.

I’d love to know your thoughts

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/whats-so-bad-about-sugar/feed/0What does “healthy” really mean?https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/what-does-healthy-really-mean/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/what-does-healthy-really-mean/#respondThu, 03 May 2018 11:43:33 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25588The post What does “healthy” really mean? appeared first on Rachel Collins.
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Welcome to the very first episode of the Simple Health Sessions. This episode is the introduction to the series and I am talking about what HEALTH really means. How do we objectively measure health?

Is it by our weight?

How we look?

How far we can run?

What we eat?

Our blood work?

In reality it’s all and none of the above. Health is different for all of us and it can only be defined by what it means to you. Good health means that you can be, do and have all that you want in life.

Healthy is being the very best version of you in body, mind and spirit.

Watch the episode below to hear more and find out what I consider the foundation and the 4 keys areas of your life that need to be in place for great health.

I’d love to know your thoughts!

What stood out to you about this video? Is there something you would love to be, do or have in life that is being blocked by poor health? Comment below.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/05/what-does-healthy-really-mean/feed/0How often should you clean your make up brush?https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/how-often-should-you-clean-your-make-up-brush/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/how-often-should-you-clean-your-make-up-brush/#respondTue, 17 Apr 2018 09:22:21 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25522The post How often should you clean your make up brush? appeared first on Rachel Collins.
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While we were away in Disneyland Paris, I managed to knock my bronzer brush into a sink of dirty water. Ironically this happened just as I was marvelling at how much stuff we had spread out in the hotel bathroom and wondering if there was something to be said about the minimalist trend I’d just been reading about in Psychologies Magazine! (Cait Flanders’ new book The Year of Less looks amazing and is on my ‘to read’ list!)

So I decided my brush was probably due a quick wash. I snapped the top off the Micky Mouse themed shampoo, gave my brush a little massage with the bright blue liquid and was absolutely shocked at how much bronzer came out.

I’ve never washed this brush before. Granted it is only a couple of months old, (my youngest has a habit of stealing and losing my bronzer brushes) but I can’t use that as an excuse.

Until this day I had never washed a make up brush.

Am I on my own with that?!

I thought I’d look online and see how often I was meant to be doing this job, especially as it actually didn’t take much effort at all.

So how often should we clean our make up brushes?

Weekly apparently! Oops!

Some brushes can wait up to a month, brushes you use around your eyes should be cleaned twice per month but those that apply foundation or concealer need a weekly clean. And apparently there is a plethora of make up brush cleaning equipment; from these cute cleaning mats to this high end make up brush cleaner and dryer. Wowzers!

I’m often asked about how to improve skin conditions and my focus is always on beauty from the inside out. Nutrition can literally make your skin glow. But now I’ve started thinking about the make up, the oil, the dead skin cells, the dust, bacteria and even viruses that can end up on our brushes I’m going to be way more mindful of what I’m rubbing on my face!

Creating new habits

Now I’ve decided to clean my make up brushes regularly I need to consider how I will make this a habit. Habits mean stuff gets done, easily. When something is a habit is means you have already made the decision to do it, which means that’s one less thing to think about during your day. And we all have enough decisions to make don’t we?

The easiest way to create a new habit is to tie it to an established habit. So what do you already do weekly that you can tie to washing your brushes? It’ll probably have to be an evening activity to allow your brushes to dry overnight…

I think I will tie washing my make up brushes to doing a weekly face mask. There’s not much you can do with a clay mask on so I might as well be pottering about by the sink washing my brushes! And the fact they’re both beauty product related will make it even easier for me to remember.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/how-often-should-you-clean-your-make-up-brush/feed/0Causes of constipation – normal vs healthy bowel movementshttps://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/causes-constipation/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/causes-constipation/#respondWed, 04 Apr 2018 16:06:33 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25496I outline why it's so important for us to start normalising poo, what a healthy bowel movement actually looks like and some of the most common causes of constipation.

Links mentioned in the video:

Poo is a taboo

And this is a problem. Why?

We put off ‘going’ when we need to go! How often have you held on because you’re out, or staying at a friend’s or partner’s house?

We don’t ever get an idea of what’s normal or what is healthy. In fact we tend to ignore it all together. Which is not a great idea when it holds so much information about our bodies.

A healthy bowel movement

A healthy poo is smooth and easy to pass, it’s brown in colour. It’s not overly smelly or sticky. Google the Bristol Stool Chart for some lovely images!

And importantly, you should poo every day.

If you’re not passing a stool every day, you are constipated. I’ve been prompted to write this blog post after hearing about a GP saying that it was “perfectly normal to poo every other day and in fact, lots of people only go once every three days”. When I hear stuff like this is really annoys me. Just because something is “normal” doesn’t mean it is ok. I remember being told that heartburn in pregnancy was normal and that colic was normal. Just because something is common doesn’t make it ok, and it certainly doesn’t make it healthy.

You are putting food into your body every day and you need to eliminate the waste every day too.

Taking out the trash

Elimination is the final stage of your body’s natural detoxification pathway. Your body is working hard all the time to rid your body of waste products. These include pesticides, chemicals and other toxins your have acquired from your environment and your own hormones. Your hormones all have very specific messages to relay, once they have done their job it’s important that your body eliminates them. If you aren’t ‘going’ daily, those toxins are being stored in your body and are at risk of being reabsorbed by your body.

Constipation can make you feel heavy, bloated and lethargic. And it can prevent your losing weight.

If you don’t have a daily bowel movement it’s an indicator something is wrong. Left unchecked it could result in disease further down the line.

Common causes of constipation

Dehydration – many of us spend our days dehydrated. We need plenty of water t bulk up the stool to make it easier to pass.

Lack of fibre – this isn’t as common as you would think. We do need soluble and insoluble fibre to pass a healthy stool, however you can’t just keep throwing fibre at the problem. You may end up just causing painful gas and bloating. If you already have plenty of fruit, veg and whole grains in your diet try another idea in this list.

Lack of electrolytes – Magnesium and potassium are important for peristalsis (the movement that pushes out the poo). Supplementing with Magnesium Citrate will help with potassium absorption and get things moving.

Poor gut health – the root cause of so many issues. The wrong kind of bacteria, or the right kind of bacteria growing in the wrong place might be the cause of your constipation. A good probiotic may help get things moving.

Hidden food intolerances – I’m not talking about allergies here but foods that your body are sensitive to that could be undermining your health. A food intolerance will be causing low level inflammation and be putting constant strain on your immune system. Find out if you have an intolerance with the elimination diet.

Lack of fruit and veg nutrition – fruits and veggies contain polyphenols; plant nutrients that are vital for peristalsis. Leafy greens also contain magnesium to help with point 3. Upping your fruit and veg is going to support you body in a more powerful way than adding in isolated minerals like magnesium because you get the wide range of benefits from the thousands of plant nutrients. I personally boost my fruit and veg nutrition with capsules containing nutrition from concentrated fruit and vegetables. I offer a free consultation to help identify the right supplement for you. Book here.

Hormonal imbalances – imbalances fall into 3 main areas:

Lack of serotonin: most of our serotonin is produced int he gut and it is needed for a good bowel movement. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors) may help in the short-term, but may cause constipation with long term use.

Excess Cortisol: chronic stress keeps us in fight or flight mode which disrupts the digestive pathway.

Excess progesterone: This is one of the reason it can be harder to ‘go’ in pregnancy or you might get constipated if you are supplementing with this hormone.

I really hope that this has helped you understand the cause of your constipation. If you need some help to investigate this further then some 1-1 health coaching can help.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/04/causes-constipation/feed/05 Reasons Why Socialising is the First Step to Enjoying Yourselfhttps://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/5-reasons-why-socialising-is-the-first-step-to-enjoying-yourself/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/5-reasons-why-socialising-is-the-first-step-to-enjoying-yourself/#respondTue, 13 Mar 2018 14:17:58 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25351Humans are said to be social creatures, and while socialising is fun, it also has a lot of surprising benefits. A growing body of research points to socialising as a way to boost health, increase happiness, and even prolong life. This is all the more important today, when an estimated 9 million Brits suffer from loneliness and isolation.

Humans are said to be social creatures, and while socialising is fun, it also has a lot of surprising benefits. A growing body of research points to socialising as a way to boost health, increase happiness, and even prolong life.

One of the most powerful but lesser-known secrets to maintain health is to hang out with friends and family. As it turns out, people who spend more time with others have a stronger immune system. Health Magazine reports that not only are more sociable people less likely to get sick, they’re also more likely to get better sleep. Sociologists even found consistent and compelling evidence that links lack of socialising to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer.

2. It lets you be your best self

Socialising has also been proven to help you be your best self, given that being around other people promotes self-esteem, empathy, and openness. Combine these effects with the steps I talk about here, and you can see that socialising can really help you reach your goals and be more productive. Having someone who can offer a word of advice and boost your confidence can go a long way towards having a sense of fulfillment.

3. You can form genuine friendships

Socialising regularly helps you expand and enrich your network to help you foster genuine friendships. These allow you to have a sounding board, source of counsel, and someone to share hearty laughter with to brighten your day.

This emotional support is very important for health and happiness, even when it’s done without the physical presence of other people. Current technology allows people to maintain connections via online tools, which also open up opportunities for you to be a part of different communities. One of the most talked about, robust communities online is bingo community. The players often share similar hobbies (aside from bingo) and are from relatable demographics.

FoxyBingo Reviews shows how strong online communities have become through the help of social platforms. By joining and participating in online communities, people can easily find and bond with others who share the same hobbies and passions, from games, to bingo, to pet care and films. Through online forms of socialising, as well as any other means of spending time with others, you gain insight into other people’s lives and personalities while also sharing in their joys and sorrows.

4. It helps you be smarter and more productive

Studies show that socialising with others – even through a quick coffee break or over lunch – helps people be more productive and happy in the workplace. It even aids in keeping your memory sharp, with strong social ties being seen as a powerful tool for preserving overall health even in later life.

5. You’re more likely to live longer

The Harvard Medical School reports that satisfying relationships with family, friends, and community are a major factor in achieving a long and happy life. Aside from emotional support gained from such connections, people who socialise also get practical favours like doctor referrals, advice, and even the odd chicken noodle soup. People who have great relationships are more likely to report higher levels of satisfaction and purpose as well.

The best-kept secret to achieving a long, happy, and healthy life is socialising with friends, family, and the community. Go ahead and sign up for a class at your local recreation centre, volunteer at a charity organisation, or join a book club to meet new people – your mind and body will thank you for it.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/5-reasons-why-socialising-is-the-first-step-to-enjoying-yourself/feed/0Healthy teeth and gums – the easy wayhttps://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/healthy-teeth-gums-easy-way/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/healthy-teeth-gums-easy-way/#respondThu, 01 Mar 2018 15:42:12 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25254How to improve your oral health without tons of effort! We know there's more to great teeth and gums than a quick brush twice a day - here's how to make sure you do all the other good things, on autopilot.

We’re (mostly!) all in the habit of brushing twice a day but there’s this nagging awareness in the back of our minds … we know that there is actually way more to looking after our teeth than a quick brush.

Flossing, changing the toothbrush (or toothbrush head) regularly, regular visits to the dentists AND the hygienist oh and not to mention not consuming too many sugary foods and drinks… ARGH! So many things to remember. Add in that our nutrition actually supports the health of our teeth and gums and looking after your teeth can suddenly feel like a massive chore that you just don’t have time for.

I’ve just got back from my 6 monthly visit to the hygienist – yes I am one of those annoying people who actually manages to visit every 6 months these days – and I wanted to share with you my tips on putting your dental care on autopilot. Because honestly, if it ain’t easy, we don’t do it! Right?

4 steps to make oral health easy

1. Book your next dentist and hygienist appointments before you leave your current appointment. Do not walk out of that door if you don’t know when you’re coming back. If it’s in the diary, it’s way more likely to happen.

2. Sign up for a dental plan – tons of practices offer these plans now. I pay a small amount each month and get 2 dentists appts, 2 hygienist appts and a discount if ever I need work done on my teeth (I haven’t ever yet – phew!) If you’re paying for it, you’re way more likely to USE IT!!

3. Use the Subscribe and Save service from Amazon. My hygienist was amazed to hear about this one – we use the Sonicare toothbrush (amazing!) and I have the new heads set up to be delivered to us every 3 months. This means I don’t forget to change the head AND I get a discount. Win/Win!!

4. Supplement your fruit and vegetable intake with concentrated fruit and veg capsules. Plant nutrients reduce inflammation in the body which is really important for your gum health. Clinical studies show the capsules I promote positive results for people with chronic periodontitis and improvements in gingival bleeding and plaque. (Chapple 2011)

If you’d like to chat with me about supporting your teeth and gums with extra fruit and vegetable nutrition – let’s chat! You can book a phone call with me here or hit the Facebook messenger icon on the right of the screen to ping me a message in Facebook. I look forward to hearing from you.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/03/healthy-teeth-gums-easy-way/feed/0Two simple steps to clear the overwhelm and reach your goalshttps://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/02/two-simple-steps-clear-overwhelm-reach-goals/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/02/two-simple-steps-clear-overwhelm-reach-goals/#commentsTue, 06 Feb 2018 15:29:28 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25230Being overwhelmed is seriously stressful And just like any other kind of stress it elicits one of three responses. Fight, flight or freeze. NONE of these responses is helpful to you. They are protection mechanisms that actually aren’t serving you in anyway. In fact they may be doing you harm.

Being overwhelmed is seriously stressful And just like any other kind of stress it elicits one of three responses. Fight, flight or freeze.

When you’re overwhelmed and in fight mode you might find yourself snapping at your kids, fighting with your husband of ranting about how annoying your boss is. Everyone will irritate you more because “Don’t they know how busy/stressed/exhausted/worried you are right now?”

When you’re overwhelmed and in flight mode you might find yourself distracting yourself with other tasks – remember when you had an essay due at school and suddenly tidying your room became a really enticing task? I still see that happen with me from time to time. I will do anything but deal with the complex challenge in front of me. Laundry, hoovering, scrolling through facebook all suddenly take over to distract me from dealing with what needs to be done.

Freeze mode is when that overwhelm literally paralyses you. I remember this feeling from when I had really young babies. It felt like I had SO MUCH to do at home, and I wanted to get all the things done at naptime. Then naptime would arrive and I would spend so long panicking about where to start that I would get nothing done and baby would wake up leaving me feeling even more stressed out for not achieving anything in that precious time.

NONE of these responses is helpful to you. They are protection mechanisms that actually aren’t serving you in anyway. In fact they may be doing you harm. In fight and flight mode our heart rate increases, blood pressure increases and the immune response switches on, ready to fight off infection from injury. All good things in the moment you’re being attacked IF you can switch them off later. If you can’t switch off these stress responses it leads to chronic high blood pressure, inflammation and too much cortisol (which is the hormone responsible for excess tummy fat!)

To move forward you’ve got to take control of the feeling of being overwhelmed so you can see clearly, plan your tasks and move forward with whatever goal you have in mind.

Whether you want to start getting healthier and you’re totally blown away by the myriad of ‘health advice’ from Dr Google, friends, family, and Facebook;

Or you’re attempting to get on top of the house work, wondering whether to tackle laundry mountain, empty the dishwasher, clear up the lego or descale the kettle;

Or if you’re to get all your business systems in place… yeah I’ve spent my fair share of time distracting myself from getting my marketing system set up by agonising over pretty scheduling apps.

How to take control of the overwhelm in two simple steps

The first thing to do is to prioritise. Take a big, deep calming breath, look at that to do list and pick one or two things that are your most important tasks. That’s ALL you’re going to focus on now. I would do this first thing in the morning when my girls were babies. I would look at my big, long to do list and choose ONE THING I would achieve when they had their nap. Just one thing. Once that was done, I would make a cuppa and enjoy some peace. If they were still asleep after that I might get another task done as a bonus.

Secondly, you’ve got to put your blinkers on. WTF does that mean?? Well, we are living in an age of information. We can get advice and information at the drop of a hat (or the drop of a post on Twitter or Facebook) and most of the time that advice is conflicting. And where does that leave you? Confused and overwhelmed. You have to choose one or maybe two people to listen to. No more. Shut out all the other voices because they will confuse you.

Generally I suggest having one go-to friend/family person and an expert. A great example of this is when my eldest daughter was struggling with her sleep. I googled, I read around, I asked everyone why she wouldn’t sleep and they all had valid and helpful tips. But nothing really worked. I could have gotten overwhelmed but I chose to first talk to my Mum. She’s my go-to person for most things parenting-related. When we reached the end of our experience and knowledge I called in an expert. Now, I’m sure everyone else had good advice. But snippets of ideas from all different people isn’t helpful. A single proven method, that me and my husband implemented, with a coherent strategy, with someone holding us accountable – worked. Right away.

This goes for anything you are trying to achieve. Whether you want to help your little person sleep better (speak to my friend Sofie), eat better (I can help with that), get your business systems set up (I can help with that too) or build a car (I definitely cannot help with this!) you need to follow just one or two people’s advice. Get your blinkers on to shut out anything else.

Now you have your one important task, and you have shut out all the well-meaning but unhelpful advice on how to do it, you can get really clear on what your next step is and JFDI baby… Just F-ing Do It!

If you’re still feeling totally overwhelmed and you need some support with these two steps I would love to help. You can schedule a free Wonder Woman Breakthrough Session here and together, we will get really clear on what your most important next step is, and how to get started. At the end of the call, if it feels right I will share with you how we can work together to reach your big goals.

]]>https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2018/02/two-simple-steps-clear-overwhelm-reach-goals/feed/4How to stay sane on family holidayshttps://rachelcollins.co.uk/2017/11/stay-sane-family-holidays/
https://rachelcollins.co.uk/2017/11/stay-sane-family-holidays/#respondWed, 08 Nov 2017 11:58:34 +0000http://rachelcollins.co.uk/?p=25208The post How to stay sane on family holidays appeared first on Rachel Collins.
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You’re on a beautiful holiday. You’re in paradise! So why does it feel like hell?

Overnight flights, jet lag, extreme heat, strange foods and a major shift in routine all disrupt kiddies and put this Mummy at risk of turning from mother into monster!

Family holidays have their ups and downs and there are always moments when it certainly doesn’t feel so idyllic. But that’s not what the carefully curated photos on Facebook and Instagram would have you believe. All your friends are posting about their lovely week or weekend away with the children. How they played, explored and ate yummy food. How the kids had ice creams on the beach and stayed up late and it was all good FUN!

And then the one time you try to book something nice, you take the babies or toddlers or children away it all falls apart. The journey is filled with whinging and “I’m hungry” (3 seconds after you’ve left the restaurant where they didn’t eat their lunch) and the “are we nearly there yet. I’m bored!” When you arrive they are tired, but overexcited, they struggle to sleep in their strange beds, maybe struggle with a time change. The won’t eat, they won’t sleep and there’s no nursery or school to send them off to while you get to drink a cuppa in peace while doing something that makes you feel productive and capable.

You wonder what you did wrong. You wish you’d had more money to spend so you could upgrade the flights and get a better sleep. You wish you could have afforded a holiday abroad. Sunshine would have made it all better. You wish you’d gone for a more luxurious hotel with a kids club. You wish you hadn’t bothered with the hotel with a kids club because they won’t bl**dy go there! You wish you’d actually gone for self catering because you’d have been able to cook what you KNOW your toddler will eat.

You start to feel like no one is having fun and its all your fault. Other families enjoy holidays – Facebook proves it so whats wrong with yours? Why can’t you have fun? This holiday you’ve saved for, planned for and been so excited for is a flop. And you feel like there is something inherently wrong with you because surely you should be enjoying your other half’s company and having the kids with you all the time?

Or perhaps you had a feeling that this would all be too much for you to manage and you’ve never booked a holiday? Perhaps the routine you have, although not perfect, feels safe? I’ve had a lot of comments on taking my girls to India with me … people think I’m mad. How will they cope with the flight? The jet lag? The food? The heat? The dirt? Aren’t you worried about them? What if they get sick? Or burnt? Or taken?

But if I let all those worries stand in my way I would do nothing that I am passionate about. Travel and experiencing other cultures is something I love and have always wanted in my children’s lives.

Is it always perfect? NO!

Do I have days when I regret it? YES!

When we’re self catering I always have a day or 2 of regretting choosing an Airbnb over a hotel with a cleaner and a kids club. When we’re in a hotel I always feel a day of worry when Isla has a wobble about going to the kids club in a hotel (even though she absolutely loves the activities). We have tired days. We have days when we are sick of each others company.

But we have some incredible days too.

So how do I make sure everyone enjoys their holiday?

I’m not going to focus on how to make it work for the family – you know your family best. Only you know whether hiking, camping or beach holidays will work best for your brood.

What I’m going to cover is how to not feel like a failure, and how to make sure you enjoy your holiday!

1. It’s ok to not be ok all the time.

Firstly, know its not all going to be rainbows and sparkles – there will be squabbles, tired days, down days and days where trying to please the whole family just wont work. BUT THATS OK! No-one does have it perfect. as much as FB will have you believe that other families never fight on holiday.

2. Be prepared

The more prepped you are the better. For my family the most important things to prep are entertainment, food and a medicine kit! Long car journeys, flights, train journeys, waiting in restaurants to be served … there’s a lot of waiting around and ‘doing nothing’ through a little person’s eyes. Colouring, sticker books and magazines are faves with my girls. Food is really important. Even on flights, when you assume you can buy stuff, you never know how long you will have to wait to be served. Always have snacks. And I will never go anywhere without a fully stocked medicine bag – I learnt that the hard way after Scarlett came out in hives from head to toe from the heat in Mauritius on a Sunday afternoon, right after all the pharmacies had closed and we were about to board a 12 hour flight!! We were so lucky she settled down quickly because even the plane’s medicine cabinet didn’t have an antihistamine for under 12s. And be sure to share your plans with whoever you’re travelling with – try not to carry all the responsibility.

3. Don’t forget self care

Just because you’re in paradise doesn’t mean you’re self care is all taken care of. If anything the change in routine means you need to up your self care. You cannot let go of your non-negotiables. What do you need to feel human? To stay sane and happy? I’ve seen mums so focused on the safety and happiness of their children that they even forgot to put their own suncream on and burn like crazy. It is not good for anyone if we focus so much on others and forget ourselves and our own self care. For me, I need time to myself. Time to read, write and think. I need a bit of time each day when I don’t have to be watching out for the little people in my life and I can just think about me. While we’re away it might mean a massage, a yoga session, going for a swim in the sea alone or just having a nap. And don’t forget your nutrition! By all means take some time off ‘the diet’ and worrying about your body shape – HOWEVER – when you’re in the hot sun all day the antioxidants you get from fruits and veggies are even more important to protect your DNA from sun damage. So no, holiday isn’t a time to let your nutrition lapse completely. If anything, when you’re eating more junk, drinking more alcohol and playing in the sunshine you need to make an extra effort with your nutrition.

You absolutely can find a way to make travel and adventure part of your life, even when you have children. But I get it, sometimes just getting through the day to day routine feels too hard. The thought of creating adventures and following your dreams, whether that’s to travel, have a holiday or hike across Nepal, is just too overwhelming. If this is where you are at right now, let me help you clear the overwhelm and form a plan in a free Wonder Woman Breakthrough Session. In this call we wil get really clear on what your big goal is, identify the biggest obstacles and you’ll leave with a clear action plan and a sense of excitement for what’s ahead. If it feels right, I’ll also share with you how we can work together and I can help you to achieve your big goal. Book your free session with me here.